Harry's New Home
by starwarsfreak95
Summary: What would have happened if Dumbledore had given Harry to Sirius that Halloween night after Lilly and James's death? Before Sirius confronted Wormtail, before the Dursleys began to hate Harry before everything. Harry goes off to live with Sirius at the age of one. Rated T for safety. Chapters 1-3 have been edited as of 8-7-13!
1. Sirius' Sacrifice

A/N- If anyone has any ideas on what to include in this story, please feel free to PM me or to add it to your review! I'm going to need lots of help on this. Thanks guys!

Disclaimer- I don't own the Harry Potter characters

Chapter 1- Sirius' Sacrifice

October 31, 1981

"Please, Professor Dumbledore, sir. Give him to me. I'll do anything… Just let me care for him. Don't take him to those people…"

Dumbledore looked at the face of the broken man weeping in front of him sadly.

"Sirius, you know why we can't do that."

"But they will hate him! L... L… She told us about her sister. Petunia absolutely hated her and anything magical!"

"But the protection, Sirius. He must call the house of his mother's blood home."

"Petunia's house could never be home to him!"

"Sirius..." Dumbledore began.

"There's got to be a way!" Sirius looked up at Dumbledore with pleading eyes.

Dumbledore began to think. For the time being, Voldemort was gone. The protection was not completely necessary yet. It wouldn't be until Voldemort returned. As he someday would. It would be good for the boy to have someone to love him as he grew up. The beginnings of an idea began to form in his mind.

"There is a way in which it could be possible, but it would require much sacrifice on your part, Sirius."

"I already said I'd do anything for Harry. I am his godfather- his parents intended for him to be in my care," Sirius replied with steel in his eyes.

"Harry must grow up as a Muggle. Which means you will have to hide your magic and his magic from him until the time has come. You will need to live near the Dursleys as well. There is a house for sale behind their house- I will give them money to purchase it. This way, you can live under the Dursley's roof without having to live with them. If Voldemort returns, you will both move in with them for added protection. Do not tell him about the magical world, do not tell him about his parents, and do not, I repeat, do not, tell him about Lord Voldemort."

Sirius bowed his head.

"I'll do it for Harry, sir," he thought for a moment, "can I keep the motorcycle? The residents of this tiny Muggle town will suspect us as different anyway, so I can make it seem like I was a school friend of Harry's father who was named godfather, but never intended to have to take up the role."

"Good idea," Dumbledore said with a faint memory of his usual smile, "I will go make arrangements with the Dursleys. Take Harry to your house and protect him with your life. Do not allow others in to see him, no matter who they are. There are many who think it was you who betrayed the Potters. I will clear your name before the idea can get out of hand. When I've taken care of everything, I will come find you to tell you where you will live."

"How will I know it's you?" Sirius asked.

"I believe that you will know me very well," Dumbledore paused, "Padfoot."

Sirius grinned for a moment. Suddenly his face darkened.

"I'd love to get my hands on Wormtail," he snarled.

"Let it go, Sirius," Dumbledore said, a matching fury in his eyes, "I will find him myself. And I will make him wish that he had never gone anywhere near Voldemort. You need to concentrate on Harry. He needs you."

Both of them turned their attention to the baby boy in the crib. His bright green eyes were damp, and his jet black hair was swept away from his face so that a raw, lightning shaped scar was clearly seen. Baby Harry kept rubbing it with his fists, as though it bothered him. A small cry escaped the sniffling baby, and Sirius dashed over to him, picked him up, and held him tight.

"Shh, little Prongsling, it'll be okay," Sirius looked up at Dumbledore, "I'll be at my house," he said as he got on his giant motorcycle and roared away.

"Good luck and god speed, Sirius Black, if Harry dies, the world will never be rid of Tom Riddle"

Later

Sirius made his house difficult to find and impossible to break into as soon as he got home. Harry slept on the small bed in the guest bedroom, or on the couch, or in Sirius' arms. He had no idea how to take care of the baby, but Dumbledore sent him help in a slightly unexpected form- Molly Weasley. She gave him many tips for how to take care of Harry over those weeks. And she was a powerful force when the mobs came.

The first mobs were after him. All were convinced that he had been the Potters' Secret Keeper, and all wanted his blood. Within a couple of days, those mobs disappeared, replaced by mobs after Peter's blood. They called for him to join them, but he never did. Many of his friends tried to get in to the house, but he didn't let anyone in. He couldn't let them in on Dumbledore's orders, but many went away bitter because they wanted to see the Boy Who Lived. The only ones who understood were Moony and Molly.

"Poor boy!" Molly always said, "They'll never leave him alone while in school, mark my words." She frowned as she fed her new baby, Ginevra or Ginny.

Finally, almost three weeks into November, Dumbledore reappeared after a mysterious note that said to have everything essential packed by the date on the letter.

"Let me in, Padfoot," Dumbledore commanded. Sirius opened the door, and Dumbledore stepped in. Harry was watching Ginny intently as she most seriously attempted to roll over on her stomach.

"Molly, thanks for all of your help," Sirius said thankfully.

"It's nothing, dear. It's the least I could do for you two," she replied, picking Harry up, "send me an owl if you need anything or any advice on how to care for Harry."

"I will, thanks" Sirius said with a grin. He smiled a bit more easily now. Though the pain of losing his brother-in-all-but-blood would never truly be gone, he had seen over the past couple of weeks that caring for Harry would help make it bearable.

"Sirius, everything has been provided for. You will get weekly food deliveries and some Muggle money every month to cover any non-food expenses. The furniture is there, all you need are clothes."

"Ah, Sirius?" Molly began, a slightly shy look on her face.

"Yeah, Molly?"

"These are for you," she said quickly, handing him some very worn children's clothes that were about the right size for Harry, "They were Ron's, and some of the others before that. I know they're not in great shape, but it would at least give you something for Harry to wear until you can take him to a children's store."

"Thanks, Molly," Sirius smiled happily and gave her a one armed hug. As Sirius took him from her arms for the last time, Harry looked directly at Molly and smiled deliberately.

Some hours later, Sirius walked with Harry through the door of the house on the prim and proper street in Little Whinging. He looked down at his godson and smiled as he looked at the brand new, but non-frilly furniture.

"Welcome home, Harry," he said seriously.

Harry looked at him just as seriously and said a single word- his first.

"Si-wus," Harry babbled.

Sirius.


	2. The Letter

Chapter 2- The Letter

Approximately 10 Years Later

"Harry! It's time for school!"

Harry woke up to the sound of his godfather's voice waking him for school. Sirius had tried to home school Harry over the years, but it never really quite worked. So Harry had been enrolled in primary school at the age of five. He rather hated it. The neighbors behind them had a horrible son who absolutely hated Harry. Since Dudley Dursley was the biggest and strongest kid in the school, he was in charge of the social aspect of the students. This meant that anyone Dudley hated, the rest of the school shunned. Harry supposed it could be worse- at least he had Sirius to come home to. He reckoned that it would be much more miserable on his own.

"Harry! Come on! You need to get to school!"

"Coming!" Harry called back. He rushed out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt for the coming day. He grabbed the comb on the dresser and went into the bathroom to attempt to do something about his unruly black hair. After a few moments, he stared into his own bright green eyes at the mysterious, lightening bolt-shaped scar on his forehead, and gave it up as hopeless. He took a detour to his room to get his backpack, and then went down the hall to the kitchen.

After gobbling about 3 doughnuts from the box on the counter, Sirius gave Harry a ride to school. This sort of ride could have made Harry very cool if it wasn't for Dudley's hatred of Harry. Sirius took Harry to school every day on a bright red motorcycle.

As usual, the teachers looked on disapprovingly as Sirius roared up to the school with Harry.

"Bye, Sirius," Harry said somewhat glumly.

"Bye, Harry," Sirius replied cheerfully, trying to encourage Harry "See you this afternoon."

As soon as Sirius was out of sight, Dudley appeared as if summoned by magic.

"You think you're so cool!" Dudley sneered, "Riding to school on a motorbike! You're such a freak, Potter. You don't even have any relatives to take you in after your parents died! Had to go live with one of your dad's old school friends! Bet he didn't even want you!"

Harry was used to this sort of abuse, but today it struck especially hard for some reason.

"Shut up, Dursley!" Harry shouted.

"Nope. Won't," said Dudley, pleased to get a rise out of Harry.

"I said, shut UP!" Harry yelled again.

"Make me!" Dudley taunted. Harry knew he couldn't. Harry had been told that his next fight would get him detention. Sirius had told him that he needed Harry to stop getting in fights with Dudley, and that getting detention would get Harry in trouble at home. Harry had never been in trouble at home before, and didn't want to start. He turned and ran from Dudley and his gang. Unfortunately, Dudley gave chase.

"You're such a coward, Potter!" Dudley said from right behind Harry. Harry panicked, and tried to jump behind some trash cans next to the school kitchen. The next thing Harry knew, he was on the roof of the school. Frightened, Harry grabbed hold of the chimney. Dudley grinned evilly, and ran for the outdoor supervisor, who lectured Harry viciously for climbing school buildings. Once removed from the roof, Harry was told to call Sirius to pick him up and go home for the rest of the day. Since it was the last day of term before the summer, they gave him his report (not top marks, but not bottom either) and told him that he had passed through his final year of primary school.

Oddly enough, Sirius seemed to believe his story about not knowing why he had ended up on the roof of the school. Not only that, he took picked Harry up from school without an angry or harsh word. In fact, his only comment was of how proud he was of Harry's grades. Instead of taking him home, Sirius took Harry to a restaurant where they had hamburgers for lunch.

"I'm sorry, Sirius," Harry said quietly.

"Don't worry about it, Harry," Sirius smiled, "I do believe you, you know. It's very strange what happened, but I believe that you're telling the truth."

"Thanks," Harry said, smiling back at his godfather.

Harry's relationship with Sirius was a curious thing. Sirius had raised him from the age of one. When Harry came home from school after the first week asking why everyone else had a mom and dad, when he didn't, Sirius broke down in tears and told him that Harry's parents had died the October after Harry's first birthday. Sirius's tears had so shocked five-year-old Harry that the subject of his parents was never broached again.

Sirius had raised Harry as well as he could. They didn't have much, but they lived in a government sponsored house, and were sent a check each month. They were also sent nonperishable food each month. Things like cans of beans and boxes of oatmeal were in the boxes, but they had to get anything else they wanted or needed with the government money. Harry, subconsciously understanding that there wasn't much to go around, never actually asked for anything. However, Harry sometimes had the suspicion that Sirius could read minds. Very very occasionally, things that Harry really wanted would appear in their cart. For Christmas, there was always a few things for Harry that weren't necessities like clothes. On his birthday, instead of actually getting something, the two of them went somewhere interesting like the zoo or an arcade.

"Sirius?" Harry said quietly as he finished eating.

"What's up, Prongsling?" Sirius asked with a quick grin.

"I.. Uh.. Sirius, am I a problem?"

"What?" Sirius looked stunned, ",Oh Harry, no way! You're not a problem at all! What would make you think that?"

"Dudley said you only took me because it was your responsibility as my godfather and there was no one else to send me to. He said you were probably one of my dad's old school friends and probably didn't even want me."

"Harry, look at me," Sirius said with an uncharacteristic sharpness in his voice that made Harry look up from his lap, "You are with me because I wanted you to be. I was your father's old mate from school, but I wanted to take you to live with me. I fought to have you with me."

"Really?" Harry perked up.

"Really, Prongsling," Sirius grinned, "That's what you get for listening to old Dursley!"

Harry grinned back as they left the restaurant.

Soonthe two of them returned home. Sirius took the paper with Harry's grades and displayed it prominently on the refrigerator, a tradition from the first time he brought grades home.

"I bet you're glad it's summer," Sirius smiled at Harry.

"Yeah," Harry grinned back, "I'll miss you during the days you're working though."

Harry still was not exactly sure what it was that Sirius did for a living. But whatever it was, he could be home whenever Harry was except during the summer. During the summer, he spent two days a week with the awful neighbors that lived behind them- the Dursleys. In this way, Dudley could still continue to beat up on him over the summer. Harry usually brought a book or two (Sirius always made sure that even though there wasn't the money for video games, Harry wouldn't be bored), and stayed out of everyone's way. They didn't feed him much, but as long as Harry didn't talk he would be left mostly alone.

"I'll miss you too, Harry," Sirius said with another, somewhat sadder smile.

Over the next few weeks, Harry spent most of his time with Sirius. He still had to spend two days a week with the Dursleys, but he survived these by reading and imagining the amazing surprise that Sirius would concoct for his birthday this year.

One sunny morning, Sirius sent Harry to get the mail.

"Prongsling, get the mail for me?"

"Sure!" Harry replied enthusiastically. He grabbed the small stack of letters and flipped through them. He saw that the government check for the month had arrived. This was a good thing- they were living mainly off of canned beans and tinned fruit from the box since they were a bit short on money. He also saw a few bills. Suddenly, something caught Harry's eye. He only saw the bottom of the letter where it was held closed by a bit of wax. The seal on the wax was a shield divided into four sections and each had a different animal (a lion, a snake, a badger, and an eagle) on it, surrounding the large letter "H" that dominated the middle. He flipped it over and gasped. The address read "Mr. Harry Potter, Number 4 Pansy Walkway, Little Whinging, Surrey."


	3. You're a Wizard, Harry

Chapter 3- You're a Wizard, Harry

Sirius ran into the front hall at the sound of Harry's gasp.

"Harry, what's-" Sirius stopped as he spotted the strange envelope. To Harry's great surprise, A grin spread over Sirius's face and he grabbed Harry in a huge hug.

"I can't believe it!" Sirius said, his voice somewhat muffled in Harry's hair, "You got in!"

"Erm… In where?" Harry asked quizzically.

"Hogwarts," Sirius beamed.

"Um.. What?" Harry was completely lost at this point. Suddenly, Sirius's face grew grim.

"It's time you knew, Harry."

"About what?" Harry asked.

"It's time you knew about what happened to your parents, that letter, and why we live here."

Harry listened raptly. He hadn't asked about his parents since Sirius's breakdown when he was five. Harry sensed that he'd be getting more answers than he bargained for as Sirius led him into the living room.

"This is going to make a lot of things easier," Sirius murmured. To Harry's great surprise, Sirius took a thin stick out of the waistband of his jeans and waved it. All the lights in the room turned on. Harry's eyes widened.

"I'll put it to you like this, Harry," Sirius began, "magic exists. Accio letter." Harry's letter, which had fallen from his numb fingers in the front hall, zoomed into the room and landed gently on Sirius's lap. Harry looked dubious.

"You remember all of those things that have happened that are strange? Things you couldn't explain, but that I never asked strange questions about?" Sirius asked.

Harry thought for a moment. He remembered the roof of the school. The time that one of his teachers was scolding him for something Dudley had done and Harry had been so angry that he couldn't speak. The next thing Harry knew, the teacher's wig was blue. There was the time that he had to stay at the Dursleys overnight and they had locked him in their cupboard under the stairs. He had escaped somehow. Sirius had been furious with Mr. Dursley, but he said unfortunately, there were reasons he couldn't beat up Mr. Dursley. He began nodding.

"You're a wizard. As am I. Your father was as well, and your mother was a witch. Harry," Sirius said with a sigh, "It's time you know how your parents died."

A couple of hours later, Harry's head was spinning.

"My parents were killed by this Voldemort guy?"

"Yep."

"We only live here because I have to live under the roof of the Dursleys'? Who we have to live with only because their blood protects me?"

"Petunia's does actually. And I wish I could take you to live somewhere else, but this was one of the stipulations to me taking you."

"Dudley is my cousin?"

"Unfortunately."

"We're not poor?"

"Nope, but I couldn't have you asking questions about where the money was coming from. I do have a job, and a good one too. They also understand that I have to be home to protect you, so they let me come home as much as I need. Now that you know about magic, we will have a much easier time. I can provide us with food magically, and we can use all the money on clothes and non-food things. We can't magically look rich, but it's not necessary for me to continue this charade when we're at home."

"Wow… This is amazing!" Harry said.

"Indeed," Sirius said, hugging Harry, "I'm so proud of you."

Harry beamed.

"Well, let's have lunch and then read your letter."

After a huge lunch that Sirius conjured up, they went to read Harry's letter. It said-

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

"Let's send your owl," Sirius enthused. He went outside and came back with a common barn owl.

"This is Rolf," he said, "He'll take your reply."

Harry took the piece of parchment, quill, and ink from Sirius and wrote-

Thank you for my acceptance. I will most certainly be attending Hogwarts this year. – Harry Potter

"Excellent," Sirius tied the reply to Rolf's leg and spoke to the bird, "Take this to Hogwarts, okay?" The bird blinked its amber eyes. Sirius went outside again and came back without Rolf.

Harry and Sirius went about the rest of their day quite normally other than the Hogwarts letter and list on the refrigerator. Finally, Harry went to bed. He was really excited not only because of the letter, but because the next day was his eleventh birthday.


End file.
